Oct 7 attacks: Who were Salah Dahman and Fahmi Salami, Hamas commanders behind Paga-Be'eri paraglider massacres, eliminated by IDF in Gaza?

Salah Dahman, the head of Hamas’s paraglider unit, was eliminated by the  Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Jabalia, Jewish media reports said on Wednesday. Salah Dahman was active in resisting IDF advances in Gaza by cordinating Hamas's aerial actions and was operating from the Jabalia neighbourhood, around four kilometres from Gaza City. 

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Meanwhile, in a separate operation, the Shin Bet and IDF confirmed the elimination of Fahmi Salami, commander of the elite Nukhba forces in Hamas’s Zeitoun Battalion. The Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike on the building that hosted Fahmi Salami. The building had previously served as the Al-Falah School, IDF told the media. 

The eliminated Hamas commander led the October 7 attack on the Paga military post of the IDF. The ambush killed 14 IDF soldiers, Times Of Israel said quoting the army, adding that he continued to lead Hamas troops despite numerous setbacks to the outfit.

October 7 attacks: The fall of Paga outpost and Be'eri massacre

Around 6:30 AM on the dreadful day, Hamas fighters infiltrated southern Israel through the border barrier. They targeted civilian settlements and military bases alike and IDF's Paga outpost came under fire. Situated "very close to the Be'eri kibbutz (a communal settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement), the Paga outpost came under heavy fire and the soldiers on duty were overrun.

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According to reports, the soldiers posted at Paga are often referred to as protectors of Be'eri as the post is closer to the kibbutz located closer to the Gaza border. However, when the attack began, IDF units based near Paga post had to concentrate on protecting kibbutz Nahal Oz, leaving Paga post defenders with no backup. Once the defenders fell, Hamas attacked and murdered as many as 130 members of the settlement. 

According to the IDF, Israel lost many young soldiers when they decided to come out of the safety of their vehicles to halt the charge of the infiltrators deep into Israel on October 7. Many members of the IDF's Golani Brigade were slain when the moved on foot after Hamas fighters entered Israel close to the Paga outpost. Staff Sgt. Tomer Barak, Sgt. Ido Binenstock, Staff Sgt. Itay Glisko and Staff Sgt. Itamar Ben Yehuda — were named among the Israeli soldiers killed in the battle near Paga.

Paragliders of Hamas on October 7 attacks

Following the attack, video A showed Hamas militants sailing into Israeli territory on motorised paragliders, while partygoers were watching them without concern. Once Salah Dahman's paragliders touched down inside Israeli territory, they secured the terrain for their comrades of the elite commando unit to operate. The latter soon stormed the fortified electronic and cement walls that were meant to stop infiltrations from Palestinian territories, Reuters said in a report.

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Meanwhile, some paragliders landed near Kibbutz Re’im, where Jewish people were enjoying a party and musical. Once they landed, they opened fire at the unarmed crowd indiscriminately, who had, doubtlessly, watched them landing a few minutes ago.